Youth on the air: Tineradio starts weekly broadcast on National Radio

It’s Wednesday 7 February. First a catchy tune.. Then new, young voices unknown to the public interrupt the usual broadcast at 5:15 p.m. on Moldova’s National Radio Station. Listeners turn up the volume on their radios wherever they are. Has the broadcaster made a mistake? A young presenter announces to the surprised audience that they are listening to the first ever Tineradio programme of the Youth Radio Studio and that another programme will follow at the same time next week.

Back in the radio station, the 11 adolescents who have prepared the show are thrilled with the results. To produce a high-quality programme has taken several months of hard work researching subjects and recording hundreds of metres of tape. Throughout these preparations, the microphone has been their best friend; they have shared their ideas, thoughts and exchanged their problems through it. Those who previously didn’t have the slightest idea how a radio studio worked, today consider themselves competent radio journalists.

“I believe it is the most democratic and honest way to build a communication bridge to young people,” -Mihaela Babici, age 17, programme presenter.

The topic for the first programme was, appropriately, communication. The teenagers explored aspects and facets of the issue of relevance in their lives such as communication between children and parents; between peers; between genders; at school and non-verbal communication through flowers, colours, signs, sounds.

The Tineradio programme will continue to be broadcast every Wednesday at 5:15 p.m., it will be on-air for 45 minutes. A one hundred per cent youth product, the topics, jingle and the clips are all chosen and produced by teenagers. They even composed the music for the segments. “We are a lucky group of adolescents because we were given the opportunity to communicate efficiently through radio,” said Mihaela Babici, age 17, programme presenter. “I believe it is the most democratic and honest way to build a communication bridge to young people,” she added.

“It was a totally new experience for me. I had never before carried out an interview,” said 18-year-old Radu Ursu, reporter. “One of my subjects was a foreigner, so I had to speak to him in English. I think that this experience will be very useful for me in the future, regardless of what profession I ultimately choose.” Radu had interviewed to Ray Virgilio Torres, UNICEF Representative in Moldova. They discussed the importance and purpose of the Youth Media Network, which was established in Moldova by UNICEF. Children wanted to know why UNICEF is investing money in such projects. Mr. Torres said that it is important that young people's voices are heard in society.

Before they could write scripts, conduct interviews and make a live broadcast, the budding-broadcasters had to first come to Radio House many times to learn about radio and radio journalism from professionals. “I have followed these teens from the very beginning when they entered the studio for the first time until thanks to their own efforts, they broadcast their first show,” says Valentina Romanciuc, studio coordinator. “The change has been amazing. They have grown up, they have become more serious and reflective. It also seems that the experience they have gained at the studio has helped them in their daily lives. Some who were very shy are now celebrities at their schools and others who were afraid of speaking in public are now always the centre of attention.”

“For UNICEF, this show is most of all a forum for young people where they can talk about their problems and needs without going through adult intermediaries,” - Larisa Lazarescu-Spetetchi, UNICEF Programme Coordinator for HIV and Vulnerable Adolescents.

The Youth Radio Studio is financed by UNICEF and the Youth Media Center. “For UNICEF, this show is most of all a forum for young people where they can talk about their problems and needs without going through adult intermediaries,” says Larisa Lazarescu-Spetetchi, UNICEF Programme Coordinator for HIV and Vulnerable Adolescents. “The voices of young people are very important to us, so we continue to invest in youth media projects.”

This studio is an integral part of the Youth Media Network which is comprised of 75 newspapers, 27 school radio stations, 6 television and radio studios outside of a school setting and a photography workshop. The network was created in 2003 by the Youth Media Center and is financed by UNICEF.